After Blood
by Melimsah
Summary: Someone is after the Teen Titans, but it's not clear who is responsible. Will they be able to figure out who and stop them before every last Titan is taken out? (Rated T for violence. Sweet, delicious violence.)
1. Chapter 1

**After Blood**

**A Teen Titans Fanfic**

**Summary: **Someone is after the Teen Titans, but it's not clear who is responsible. Will they be able to figure it out and put a stop to it, before every last Titan is taken out?

**Rating: **PG-13 for violence and swearing.

**Warnings: **The violence will be rather extreme in some cases! Not enough to warrant an M rating, I don't think, but still, if blood makes you whoozy, turn back now.

**Pairings?** Nope! I might tease a little, but no actual ships happening here. Sail elsewhere if that's your jam.

**When does this take place? **After the end of the series, but before Trouble in Tokyo (NOTE: I don't watch Teen Titans Go, so nothing from that will have any effect on this fanfic. Why don't I watch it? ….they had Beast Boy WANT to eat meat…. in the very. first. episode. Nope. Not interested if you're gonna be breaking characters like that. It's like…. terrible fanfiction.)

**Disclaimer:** While Warner Brothers and DC are the owners of pretty much all of these characters, the plot of the story is mine.

**Author's Note:**

*peeks out from behind the door* Um… hi. It's me, Melimsah… Author of such lovely fanfics as Revenge of the Joker and Never Alone and Be Gentle With Me-

*ducks a tomato lobbed at her head*

I KNOW I KNOW OKAY I KNOW! I know what you're thinking, those of you who have me on author alert! What the hell, Melimsah? We don't hear from you in THREE FREAKING YEARS, and instead of, yknow, finishing Be Gentle With Me or updating the Revenge of the Joker sequel, you give us ANOTHER STORY that you might not finish? What in the actual crap?

I know, I know, I'm sorry, I know. *slumps over computer desk and gurgles* Animation school has kicked my butt, guys. Oh my god you don't even know. And I honestly _should_ be working on a freelance gig right now, or applying to jobs, or doing an animation test... you know, real world grown-up stuff. But instead, I'm writing this fantastical work of fanatical fiction. SO YEAH! BE GRATEFUL! GARGH! *flails*

So this is actually a story I've been thinking about on and off for, oh, I dunno, five years now? I think I came up with the first chapter not long after I finished Never Alone, and I've toyed with the rest of it ever since. I'm tremendously out of practice when it comes to writing, so I figure why not try and get back into the swing of things here, eh? And hopefully I'll get reinvigorated enough to jump back over and work on the other fanfics. What do you say?

You're reading this in the future. WHO CARES WHAT YOU THINK! MwahahahahAHAHAHAKJLHAGAGKALJHACKcoughsputter

My evil laughter is also out of practice, apparently….

On with the show! I really hope you guys like it. I really have missed this. Writing, reading reviews…. torturing Titans. ;)

* * *

**Chapter 1**

* * *

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Jump City. One of those days that just felt right, from the temperature to the amount of clouds in the sky to the way the breeze felt against the skin. Everyone seemed to be taking advantage of it. Gaggles of teenagers walked the shopping avenues of downtown. Families had piled into their minivans and SUVs to go down to the beach or to the zoo or to the playground. People from every walks of life, jogging, enjoying food on restaurant patios, reading on benches the park.

It was such a pleasant day, Robin actually wondered if even the criminals would take the day off to enjoy it.

He straddled his motorbike at a stoplight, balancing from foot to foot as he waited for the long light to turn green. He took the opportunity to pull his helmet off for a moment and feel the rush of ocean air on his face. It really was such a shame he had to do patrol now. A barbecue would have been perfect today. He could practically smell Cyborg's grill cooking up some hotdogs and burgers.

There was a honk of a horn, and Robin jumped a little. At first he'd wondered if he'd missed the light, but it was still blazing red. His ear followed the source of the sound, turning his head to look at the SUV directly beside him. The man in the driver's seat waved sheepishly, then pointed behind him, where a group of younger kids were straining against their seat belts to wave at him through the open window.

"Awesome bike, Robin!"

"Get those bad guys!"

"Can I be a Titan too?! I know karate!"

Robin couldn't help but smile like an idiot at them before pulling his helmet back on, and after clasping it secure around his chin, gave them the thumbs up. They cheered and yelled at him, and Robin was suddenly grateful for the tinted glass of his helmet, obscuring his blushing cheeks from them. Even after an entire past life surrounded by cheering crowds and spectacle, he still got bashful being in the spotlight sometimes.

An impish smile tweaked his lips as he noticed the opposing light switch to yellow in the corner of his eye. He twisted his handlebars, revving up. When their light turned green, though, he waited. The vehicle with all the kids drove off, and Robin waited just long enough for them to get ahead, and he tore off with tires squealing. He came level with them and floored it, pulling the handlebars into a wheelie. The kids cheered through the windows as he passed. Another car honked. Robin swerved a little as he landed, but managed to keep the bike in his lane. The kids applauded and cheered, along with a couple teenaged boys hanging on the sidewalk.

Another voice shouted from behind him. "Stupid kid! You tryin to get yourself killed?" Robin glanced in his rear view mirror, seeing the man in the truck behind him leaning out his window and flipping him off. Robin just waved apologetically. He knew what he was doing and how to do it safely. He wasn't about to get himself killed.

Something slammed into his shoulder. Hard. He cried out before the pain even registered, the force of it yanking his whole arm back, pulling the handlebar with it. The wheels caught the road wrong, and the bike tore out from under him, wrenched from his grasp. He was down, rolling across the asphalt, the friction of it tearing at his skin and clothes, ripping away flesh, ripping away his cape. Around him was a cacophony of noises - tires squealing, horns blaring, passersby screaming. The sickening crunch of metal on metal.

Almost as quickly as it had begun, everything fell still. Robin lay sprawled on his back, staring at that beautiful sky in cold, numb shock. His brain struggled to piece together what had just happened, why he was now lying on the asphalt, but all that came up was dead static and his own heartbeat in his ears.

There were voices all around him. Faces began to appear, blurry and unrecognizable, above him.

"Oh my god, kid, are you okay? Can you hear me?"

Robin's eyes focused on one floating face. It was the father from the other car, leaning in over him and grasping his wrist, checking for pulse. Another face joined his, purple with rage, eyeglasses askew. The man Robin had just seen in his rear view mirror, shaking with rage.

"You stupid piece of shit! Look what you did! You could have killed us all, you dumbass!"

"Hey, not the time. Let's make sure everyone's okay," the first man said carefully.

"Damn Titans think they can just do whatever the hell they want!" the man spat before straightening up and storming off. "I hope you have fucking good insurance! Just look at my damn truck!"

Robin just frowned at the sky, still numb. That wasn't right. He hadn't just lost control of his bike….

As though on cue, his shoulder erupted in pain. He moaned and grasped it with his other arm, folding in two on the asphalt, grimacing against the searing sensation.

"Oh geez, your shoulder. Hold still, you might have dislocated it."

No… that wasn't it either…. his shoulder hurting was why he'd crashed. He pulled his hand away dully, staring at his bloodied fingers through foggy vision.

…he'd been shot…

He'd been shot!

"EVERYONE, GET DOWN!" he screamed as the realization struck home. Panic overrode pain, willing him to move, to grab the man from the SUV and shove him to the ground. He turned to the angry man, their eyes locking just as blood splattered across his visor. The brief look of fear in those eyes dulled to emptiness, and the man crumpled, blood trickling from the wound in his head.

The air erupted with screams. Those who had rushed to help suddenly scattered in every direction like roaches fleeing the poison. Robin pushed the father, screaming at him to go as he staggered to his own feet. His mind was moving far too slowly. Where the man had been shot, where Robin had been shot, it could only mean the shooter was up high, to the east. He was already moving, running to get out of the line of fire.

His left thigh exploded and he crumpled back to the ground with a cry. But he forced himself to keep going, on hands and knees, scrambling to the safety of a large car. He sat there for a moment gasping for air, forcing back tears as his leg and shoulder both seared with pain. He forced himself not to look down, but he had already seen the torn flesh and spilling blood. His arms felt like noodles as he clumsily grappled for his communicator.

"Titan down, Titan down! Shooting on Drayton and 32nd! All Titans report!"

Cyborg's face appeared, ready to respond, when the communicator vanished from his hand. Robin gasped, watching the communicator leap away from him in a flurry of yellow pieces.

He was still in the shooter's line of sight. He twisted around to see, but the sun obstructed any chance of him seeing anything. Before another shot could reach him, he rolled under the car, true terror clutching his veins. He curled up in as tight of a ball as possible, as bullets shot through the car, causing oil to leak and exhaust to hiss. Then, the shooter turned his attention elsewhere. Robin struggled to breathe through the fear in his chest and the carbon monoxide surrounding him, listening to the screams. Watching helplessly as bodies dropped to the ground . Footsteps running by as people abandoned cars.

….a child's screams…

He army-crawled to get a better view from his hiding spot, staring out into the street. Horror gripped him. The father who he'd protected before now lay sprawled on the asphalt in a growing pool of blood, and hunched over him, one of his children. The smallest of the children, maybe only five years old.

…the father had tried to save them…

The little boy cried and shook the shoulder his lifeless father, screaming for him to get up. In the distance were the other boys, crouched behind a mailbox, shouting desperately for little boy to join them.

Horror filled Robin's veins as he saw the red laser, for a brief moment, on the small boy's forehead.

"NO!" he screamed, charging out of his hiding spot. He managed to make it to the child, scooping him up in his arms and tearing off toward the other boys. A gunshot hit the left side of his back, causing him to stagger, but he forced himself to keep moving, even as the pain and shock of it all threatened to pull him down.

Just short of his goal, the next shot hit his right knee, crippling him to the ground. He shoved the little boy to run. "Go! Go!" he screamed desperately. The boy did, waddling off with howling tears, embraced by his brothers and vanishing into hiding before Robin turned to face the threat, snatching out a birdarang.

_It's me they want… just me…_

A renewed explosion of pain rocked his shoulder, knocking him back to the ground with a cry. With great difficulty, he immediately forced himself to his hands and knees.

_They could kill me at any point… but they haven't… they're playing with me… _

…_better me than innocent lives…_

He lifted his head. He tried to look up at the rooftop the gun fire was coming from, but didn't have the strength. His eyes fell on the far side of the street.

Disbelief flooded him.

The street should be abandoned. Those who hadn't run for their lives were strewn dead on the ground. But just there, at the foot of the building the killer was shooting from, stood a small group of teenagers. They were were watching him. No horror. No panic. No sorrow. They were simply… watching.

But it was one in particular that caught his attention. Her blue eyes met his, and his mouth fell open. It couldn't be…

One last gunshot reverberated through the abandoned city street. His head slammed backward. Everything turned to darkness before he even hit the ground.

* * *

"_Titan Down! Titan Down! Shooting on Drayton and 32nd! All Titans Report!"_

It was the last thing they'd heard before communication with Robin was lost. They each hurried as fast as they could, coming from different corners of the city.

Raven tore between buildings and over cars, flying faster than she ever had before. She knew she was getting close as people were running the opposite way, shouting and screaming. Panic threatened her as she saw crushed cars and bloodied bodies. A familiar motorbike.

Robin…

"I found him!" she gasped into her communicator. She threw out her other hand, calling upon a force field to shield him from any further gunshots. She threw another around herself, landing and spinning around, taking in the scenery with a twisting stomach.

The place was deserted. Staring up at rooftops and windows, she saw no one. No indication anyone was still here. She couldn't even feel anyone except the frightened auras of those cowering in the buildings. The shooter was gone.

She turned her attention to the fallen Titan, panic threatening her as she hurried forward, slipping through her magical barrier as though it were nothing more than mist. She dropped beside him, the blood that had accumulated around him still warm to the touch on her knees.

"Robin!" she gasped, reaching out to him with shaking hands. She could still sense his presence - he was alive! - but she could also sense his strength fading. There was so much blood. She looked him over, frantically trying to figure out how many wounds he had. His shoulder, his thigh, and his other knee were torn apart from the force of the bullets. Blood pooling around his waist indicated another wound on his back. With a wave of her hand, tendrils of magic flew out and wrapped themselves around each wound, effectively cutting off the release of blood from his body.

Then, she noticed his helmet, dented and cracked from the force of a bullet ricocheting right off the center of his forehead. The sight of it made her veins run cold. That kind of momentum, even with the protection of his helmet, could be enough to do serious damage. She unclasped the strap and carefully pulled the helmet from his head - not an easy task, as warped as it had become from the bullet. Removing the helmet revealed an enormous lump on Robin's forehead. Her fingers grazed it gently, trying to sense if there were any skull fractures or damage to the brain behind it.

It was then that she noticed his eyes had opened. He didn't look at her, but straight ahead, past her hand at the sky above. She leaned closer, forcing him to make eye contact with her, but his gaze still seemed distant.

"Robin?" she asked softly. "Robin, can you hear me?"

His eyes focused on her for just a moment. She could almost see him trying to think behind those masked eyes. But any chance for thought was interrupted by pain, his eyes twisting shut and a whimpered cry escaping his gritted teeth. His whole body tensed, his uninjured arm grasped for his head.

"It's okay, Robin. You're going to be okay." She laid a hand on his, pressing down on it to add extra pressure to his throbbing head. She reached out with her mind, able to discern snippets of memory through the pain. The motorcycle falling away. The splatter of blood as a man fell dead. Hiding under a car, gunshots reverberating through the screams. The desperate cry of a child holding his father.

…a group of teens, watching from a distance…

…Terra?

Her head snapped up in disbelief. It was her. That was _definitely_ her. She twisted, looking behind her to the place where Terra had been standing in Robin's memory.

There was no one there.

Robin's pained gasping fell silent as he slipped back into unconsciousness. The other Titans were arriving, running toward her force field with worried looks. But she just stared at the empty sidewalk, trying to make sense of it all.

…what was Terra doing there…?

_What's going on?_

* * *

**Bottom Author's Note:**

So? What did you think? Lob a review my way and let me know! I might be a bit rusty still, and for that, I apologize, but I really hope to get back on my game soon...

And I know, right? What's wrong with me? Knocking Robin out of the rink in the very first chapter? Clearly… I've got something up my sleeve. *rubs hands together* Come on. I mean, why should Robin get all the fun? :D

Also - for any Terra haters, cuz I know you're there - just wait. I never write what you think I'm going to write.

And for those of you brand new to my stories, I highly recommend you read some of my others while you wait for chapter updates on this one! Revenge of the Joker just broke 1000 reviews, even! How crazy is that? People like it for some reason…. As for those of you still around since those days, welcome back! I've missed you. :)


	2. Chapter 2

**After Blood**

**Author's Note:**

See? Told you I wouldn't leave you guys hangin! What did I say? :D

I graduate from college in few weeks. Freaking finally. It's been 8 years since high school and I'm finally about done. YAY! *bursts into tears and curls under desk* So yeah. My senior film is done, and all I have left is a business class I couldn't care less for, so I've got a bit of time on my hands between applying for jobs and hyperventilating about possible unemployment.

By the way, if any of you are fans of my super rated R slashy slash fic Be Gentle With Me… I've been updating that too. Not a lot of people seemed to have caught the update email on that. So yeah. The more you know. :)

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 2**

* * *

"_Welcome back to Today's News Now, I'm Sophie Hall._

_It's a day of mourning for the people of Jump City. What began as beautiful spring day has instead turned to tragedy as an unidentified gunman opened fire on a downtown street, just blocks from City Hall. Four people were left dead and six more were injured when shots rang out a little after 3pm this afternoon. Unknown is the condition of what appears to have been the primary target of the attack, the Teen Titan known as Robin. Eyewitnesses have said the teenaged boy was shot at least five times while attempting to protect citizens, and was taken away by his team before police and paramedics arrived."_

"_It was terrifying. Everyone was screaming and the shots kept firing. I couldn't tell where they were coming from."_

"_This was the general consensus of the eyewitness reports - shots fired, but no gunman sighted. The police, as well as the Teen Titans, are currently investigating the incident. The question we have is - is this the last of the gunman, or should the citizens of Jump City stay indoors?"_

* * *

"Six bullets, .22 LR. Fired from less than 100 yards."

The screen behind Cyborg lit up with a wire-frame model of Robin. Fluorescent text leapt on screen around him, pixelated lines pointing to various places on the model as it slowly rotated on screen. Scrambling lines and waving bars beside the figure indicated brain waves, pulse, respiration. Cyborg didn't look at the screen as he continued, as though from memory. "We have damaged muscle tissue, a fractured femur, a knee-joint fracture with some severed ligaments, a damaged collarbone and rotator cuff, cracked rib, punctured small intestine, head trauma-"

"Okay, we get it," Beast Boy spoke up, slapping his hands on the table and leaning forward. "He's been completely messed up. But what does it all mean? Will he be okay?"

Cyborg frowned at Beast Boy. The green changeling looked at the others, at their worried faces, and suddenly felt like he was missing out on something. He swallowed hard. "I thought he was going to be okay. I mean, he's not dying right?"

"No. His condition is stable now. But whether or not he'll recover fully? …I don't know."

"The fact that he regained consciousness for a time is a good sign that his head trauma isn't severe," Raven spoke up, her voice its usual monotone rasp. "But that kind of momentum straight to the head means it's not likely to be mild either. And the injuries to his shoulder, back and legs will take a long time to heal, even with my help. He could be out of commission for months."

"Months?" Beast Boy reiterated in astonishment.

"If his injuries don't heal right," muttered Cyborg solemnly, "I'm not sure if he'll ever get back to the same level of skill he's had all these years. Even best case scenario, it'll be a long uphill battle for him to get back to normal."

A silence fell upon them. Beast Boy drew his knees up to his chest, his purple sneakers half-dangling off the edge of the chair. He frowned in thought.

"Well, we know what kind of bullet it is," he spoke up suddenly. "Can't you go all CSI on that? I mean, how many people own that kind of rifle?"

Cyborg stayed quiet, but his hand reached out and hit a button on the computer. A flurry of names took over the screen. "These are all the people who bought either that kind of gun or that kind of ammo in the last year within a hundred miles of here. Some of these are for the boy scout camp and firing ranges. It's an obscenely common ammo type, but not often considered for this kind of attack. The range and destructive power of it just doesn't compare to other ammunition."

"So it's probable that the person shooting Robin had no intention of killing him," Raven murmured quietly.

"Are you kidding me?" Beast Boy flailed. "I think if you're going to turn someone into Swiss cheese, you're trying to kill them."

"No, Raven's right." Cyborg hit another button, and the screen changed again. "The shooter had impeccable aim. They managed to shoot Robin twice in the exact. same. spot, even though Robin was a moving target. The casualties, on the other hand, were perfectly executed head shot wounds. Basically, anyone other than Robin who was shot was killed. Period. Any other injuries sustained at the scene were the result of car crashes and panic." Cyborg looked at them pointedly. "If the shooter had wanted Robin dead, he would be dead."

"So then, why would this killer leave Robin alive, but so terribly injured?" Starfire wondered softly.

"...I don't know. Might just want him out of the picture."

"But who would want such a thing?"

"No clue. They didn't show up in any CCTV cameras in the area, and every witness questioned were unable to give us any descriptions. There wasn't even any bullet cartridges left behind where they were shooting from."

"And this doesn't sound like any of our usual bad guys," Raven mumbled, head bowed in concentration. "Mod Cloth, Dr. Light, Red X… even Slade. None of them have ever used guns against us. Our enemies are too… creative… for that. Could be someone from Gotham with a grudge?"

"I thought of that, but even then, nothing seems to match." Cyborg turned a chair around and straddled it, his large mechanical arms resting on the back. "Deadshot, Two-Face, Penguin? None of them would have wasted their time with this sort of ammo, and I'd bet my Playstation that they would rather have Robin dead or captured."

"...Terra was there."

It became so silent Beast Boy was sure the others heard the record player scratch in his mind as shock rocked him. He gaped at Raven in a dumb stupor. "What?"

"In the memories I saw from Robin when I found him. There was a girl who looked like Terra there. Robin saw her just before he was knocked out."

"Terra? As in… _Terra _Terra?"

"Yes, Beast Boy."

"As in our Terra. The one that turned to stone, but then randomly showed up going to some preppy high school Terra. That Terra?"

"Yes, Beast Boy. _That_ Terra." Raven's eyes flashed in annoyance.

Cyborg looked just as baffled. "You don't think she's actually part of this?"

"You mean she might have returned to her old self? And to evil?" Starfire asked incredulously.

"Terra throws rocks, not bullets!" Beast Boy shouted, slamming his hands on the table and jumping to his feet. "She would never hurt anyone again, or help anyone hurt anyone again!"

"You don't know that, Beast Boy."

"Yes I do! She's just a kid now. A kid who cares about clothes, and school, and soccer practice. What normal everyday kid gets involved with mass murder? That's just sick!"

"...how do you know she cares about soccer-"

"I don't! I certainly… don't go to her games sometimes…. disguised as a pigeon…" The others gave him long, blank stares, making his face blush so hot that he was sure his green skin had miraculously turned red. "I just wanted to be sure she's really okay, okay?!"

Cyborg turned away, back to the computer. He pulled up some images - security footage from the area. The pictures were pixelated, but sure enough, there she was, standing in front of a nearby building with a few other teens. "Maybe she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time?"

"Robin didn't seem to think so…" Raven pointed out.

"But Robin was badly injured, going into shock. There's always a chance he was jumping to conclusions in blind panic. I mean, from where she's standing, there's no way the shooter could have seen her. That terrace is in the way. That could explain why she wasn't hiding."

"I don't know. There's just something not right about it all."

They kept on talking, but Beast Boy wasn't listening. He growled a little, his fingers curling into fists. He knew it wasn't true. Terra didn't have anything to do with this. Looking up at the photos again, he couldn't even be 100% sure that WAS Terra in the blocky image. How many blonde-hair 16-year-old girls did this town have, anyway? Any of them could easily be mistaken for Terra by someone who was bleeding gallons of blood.

He stood up, his chair scraping the floor. "I'm done with this. It's been a long day. I'm going to bed."

He stormed out of the room, grumbling to himself under his breath. As the doors closed behind him, the other three Titans looked at one another.

"He's going to do something dumb, isn't he," Raven murmured. It wasn't a question, and she didn't have to read his mind to know it as truth.

"Yep," Cyborg and Starfire responded in unison.

* * *

He waited a little while before sneaking out. He snuck through his window, climbing down the side of the building as a gecko, before slinking into the water and taking off as a marlin. He didn't want any cameras signalling the others that he'd left. The moon had been up for a while, casting light down into the water as Beast Boy headed to shore.

He was going to Terra's adopted home. He was going to ask her himself, see her side of the story.

There's no way she had any part of this….

He beached himself on land and transformed into a falcon, taking off over the sleeping town. He kept eyes on the city below him, keeping track of streets and landmarks to help him find his way. It took a little longer than he would have liked, but he finally touched down in an alleyway on the outskirts of town. He slowly looked out from between the buildings, up at a towering apartment building with his heart pounding.

He hadn't spoken to Terra - or Tiffany, as she was known now (the name didn't suit her at all) - since he'd left her at the school, her muttering about a test she hadn't studied for. He had kept casual tabs on her every so often - a quick fly-over her school to make sure she wasn't being bullied, watching her big games from a nearby telephone wire - but that was it. He hadn't even followed her home before - he'd had to look up her address in the Titans mainframe. He knew where to draw the line.

But what was he going to even say? He cleared his throat and turned to the alleyway wall, imagining a door opening. "Hey, Mr or Mrs. Foster Parent. I'm just looking for Tiffany. Oh don't worry, she's not in trouble, I just have a few questions to ask her, because I'm a Teen Titan."

He waited a moment for the imagined parent to go get her. She was probably in bed. She'd probably be in her pajamas. He cleared his throat a little harder, trying not to blush at the thought. "Hey, Tiffany! You probably don't remember me - or, well, I guess you do, cuz I'm green, but you know. Anyways, I just wanted to make sure, you're not bad or anything right?"

"Smooth, Beast Boy."

Beast Boy squeaked and leapt about a yard into the air, snapping around and looking up at Cyborg's smug face. "Dude! What the hell?"

"I knew you'd be coming out here."

Beast Boy's face burned even more. "I am just that predictable, huh?"

"Yep."

"Just leave me alone! I'm going to find out once and for all if Terra had anything to do with what happened to Robin."

"Calm down, Beast Boy. I'm not going to stop you."

"You're… you're not?"

"No. It makes perfect sense to question her about all this and find out for sure if she's got anything to do with it. But it's stupid, given what happened to Robin, for any of us to go out by ourselves right now. What if the shooter has friends, and they want to take one of us down next?"

Beast Boy blinked dully. "I… didn't think about all that."

"I know."

Beast Boy growled a little. "Okay, fine. I'm an idiot. But now you're here and you'll help me out, right?"

"Yup, but you'll do all the talking."

"What?! Why me?"

"Because you're clearly nervous and it's hilarious."

"Fuck you too."

Cyborg slapped him hard on the back, pushing him out toward the street. "Let's go, unless you're chicken."

"I am chicken. I'm every animal. What's your point?"

Cyborg snorted, and just kept pushing him on, across the deserted street, and to the front door. There was no buzzer system, so they went on inside, up the stairs, and to Terra's door.

"Okay," Beast Boy said with a sigh. "Let's do this." He lifted a hand and knocked loudly, then waited. After a moment, footsteps vibrated in the floorboards, and the sound of locks scraping made Beast Boy's nerves leap to the hairs on the back of his neck.

What was he going to say again? Why were they there? Shit, he was going to screw all this up.

Cyborg laid a hand on his shoulder. To an onlooker, it would appear to be a reassuring touch. But the fingertips pressing into Beast Boy's collarbone told him it was Cyborg keeping him from running away.

The door finally began to open, and Beast Boy held his breath.

"Woah, Titans? 'Sup?"

A 20-something guy stood there in his boxers, scratching his armpit and looking groggy. Beast Boy gaped at him dumbly. "Uh… uh… is, uh, Tiffany there?"

"Tiffany? Don't know any Tiffanys. Just me here."

Beast Boy peeked past his hair arm, looking into the apartment. It was typical college student decor - musty couch, trash everywhere, IKEA bookshelves full of video games and DVDs. Cyborg let go of Beast Boy and crossed his arms, looking confused. "How long have you been living here?"

"About three months now, I think? I dunno, what month is it? ….yeah, three months."

Beast Boy and Cyborg looked at one another. They glanced at the number on the door. It was definitely right. "Uh, nevermind, man, go back to sleep, sorry to bother you!"

"Cool beans, bro," the guy said with a yawn, closing the door. They listened to the creaks in the floorboards vanish, before looking at each other.

"She moved?"

"I guess so…" Cyborg looked at the computer in his arm, hitting buttons. "We didn't get any notification to change the computer settings…. this is going to take a bit of research to figure out where they went."

Beast Boy frowned, staring at the door numbers. "This doesn't make sense. Where would they have gone?"

"Maybe to a bigger place? There's lots of reasons why people move."

Beast Boy didn't answer, just staying quiet. Yeah, that's it… lots of reasons people move…

There was no way Terra was actually working for the bad guys…

…right?

* * *

**Authors Note: **Uuuuugh I didn't get to do any maiming or bludgeoning in this chapter how BOOORING! ;)

Let me know what you thought! :) Hopefully we'll get back to the maiming and bludgeoning soon! Cuz… it's kind of my thing. That and psychological torment. All good things.


End file.
